Zach and I have been trying to take more time to spend together. I love every moment of time I get with him, and I love when we can get out and do something fun together. With that said, winter is rough. In the spring, you can go to a park, or in the summer, you can go for a trip to a water park. But winter is cold. And drab. And dreary. With that said, I’ve got 10 dates that you can take with your son that don’t cost a lot of money and are perfect for winter.

1. Go sledding. This is FREE (or cheap if you don’t already have a sled). Find a sled, soap it up, find a hill, and GO! The best part of this is that it’s active and fun. You can race to the top of the hill, slide all the way down, go solo or share a sled all the way down. It’s a great way to spend time together and enjoy the ride, the feel of that chill on your face. And you can always stop for cocoa at a coffee shop (or bring a thermos, or head home for some cuddles and cocoa after).

2. Chuck E Cheese. It may seem cliche or expensive, but it’s really not. Chuck E Cheese is an awesome place for a mother-son date. First off, it’s actually pretty cheap. If you go online, you can get a coupon for 100 tokens for $20 a lot of times, and with almost everything taking just 1 token, that’s a LOT of gameplay for $20! Zach and I go through about half of that in a visit, which means $20 buys us TWO dates. Chuck E Cheese is also a great place to bring out your competitive side– Zach and I like to hold Skee Ball tournaments (and I totally never get my pants beat by him ever… riiiiight…), work together on a game where you have to throw as many balls into a dog’s mouth as you can, and of course, cheering him on when he plays a game where you jump on this board and race characters on a screen. There’s just something fun about letting loose and enjoying Chuck E Cheese together (and yes, you can totally revert back to childhood there).

3. Build a snow man. It’s not just a catchy tune… ask your child “Do you want to build a snowman?” and then go for it. If there’s snow on the ground, you can work together to build an awesome snowman, igloo, or other fun snow play idea. Wrap up the date with some snow ice cream! (Snow ice cream takes snow, milk, vanilla, and sugar… add them until it tastes good, and you’ve got a perfect snowy day treat!)

4. Cook together. Zach and I do this as often as possible, but it’s a great way to spend some time together and enjoy a date. Whether you’re making a classic (like snickerdoodles!) or trying something new, cooking together is a great way to explore your childs’ taste, and encourage comfortability in the kitchen. So often cooking seems cliche for girls (how many pink play kitchens have you seen?) but the majority of chefs are boys. Start your child early and enjoy a date together. Pressed for ideas? Try a subscription to KidStir, where they mail you 3 recipes, 2 kid-friendly tools, and a specialty ingredient each month. (The link above to KidStir is an affiliate link. You have no obligation to use the affiliate link to sign up, but if you do, it won’t cost you extra and it does help the site. Your choice! I only offer affiliate links to things I think are awesome).

5. Visit the comic store (or a bookstore, or any cool store that suits your childs’ interests). Browse and talk about different characters, read together, or buy some to take home and enjoy later. Just explore and share your likes and dislikes, have a deep discussion about plot, and take some time to get interested in what your child loves.

6. Go on a train ride. I cannot stress enough how cool this is. A lot of places across the USA have some great train rides for affordable prices. Whether you’re actually going somewhere, or you’re headed nowhere, train rides are a fun time to just sit and chat, especially if you have a train lover like my son. We recently took a train ride with Santa on a historical train in nearby Baldwin (and the train literally does go Nowhere– there’s even a sign), but you may be able to find an operating passenger railway near you!

7. Binge-watch a show on Netflix. Netflix just revamped Veggie Tales with an all new series, Veggie Tales in the House. Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers is a great movie. Check out your streaming favorites and let your son pick a show or movie, pop some popcorn, curl up on the couch, and watch for as long as you can/want to.

8. Visit a science museum. There are plenty of cool hands on museums across the USA, and a lot of them have decently priced admission. Pick a place, go, and spend the day exploring exhibits at your own pace. You can also see if your local science museum has any specific hands on classes, like the Maker Classes at Kansas City’s Union Station’s Science City, which allow you to go and learn something new with guidance from a professional. It’s a great, educational, and fun way to spend the day.

9. Check out a planetarium show. If you’re not seeing anything good in theatres, and have a kid who is interested in space, check out the offerings at your local planetarium and go catch a show. It’s a great way to enjoy time together, and a fun shake-up from going and seeing a movie.

10. Try ice skating. Yup, you’ll probably fall on your butt a few times (unless you’re Michelle Freaking Kwan, which I’m not). But that’s okay– laugh it off, pick yourself up, and enjoy going around the rink together. Trust me, it’ll be a great time filled with lots of laughs between the two of you, and priceless memories together.

 
What’s your best mother-son date idea for winter? Let me know in the comments below!

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